In The Grey
by VANDARA16
Summary: When Robin gets transported into a parallel universe, one where he still stands by Batman's side, he re-assumes his previous persona and introduces Red X into the world of crime. As he attempts to find his way back to his universe, he garners intrigue from the wrong crowd, enemies from heroes, and learns that the world isn't as black and white as he was taught.
1. Chapter 1

It's been a couple of weeks since Robin landed in this fake world. It's not real, it's not _his_. The people walking by aren't real, the kids skipping by holding their parents hands aren't real, _none of them were real_. He's just in another one of Mad Mod's illusions, albeit, this illusions much more… sane. Lacking a lot of swirls and creepy thingy's to hypnotize him. Maybe he was already hypnotized?

Can't rule that one out yet.

During the first week, he was in Jump City, or the _fake_ Jump City seeing as there wasn't the giant T in the middle of the giant lake (Where it was _SUPPOSED_ to be). Lo and behold, all that was left was a small patch of land. He thought he failed them, failed and survived while they died. It wasn't until he caught sight of a piece of newspaper. It wasn't the usual bolded letters boasting about the Titans accomplishments. No speculation as to who we were before we took on our roles.

It was of the Justice League and a younger him.

In the picture it was of Batman and the rest of the League standing overly proudly in front of the Hall of Justice, with a young Robin by Batman's side. Smiling like it was an honor to stand beside the bastard. The date gave away the fact that he wasn't in the past, so that was one theory scratched off. That left one last solid theory, one that he's had a personal experience with.

Larry. Or technically his counter part, was literal proof that parallel dimensions existed. So now that he knew that he was in a parallel dimension that just left two glaringly obvious problems to solve.

The first, avoid the Justice league. From what he gathered, they're more involved with crime that won't end in body counts. Not only that but majority of them are accompanied by partners of their own. Which meant they have more eyes and ears he had to avoid, hence why he stuck to Jump City and away from cities protected by any hero.

The answer to this problem was obvious actually. Assume his previous identity, Red X. As far as he knew, there was no record of a Red X in this universe. That tidbit of information makes his life slightly easier at the moment, considering he won't have to go through the trouble of recreating a new persona.

Coming back to the problem at hand, it would most likely be difficult to gain the materials to recreate the complicated suit. Which would force him to search for a supply of Xenothium. That itself would take him longer then he would prefer, and he would have to buy the basic items for the suit.

The second problem, finding a way back to his universe. He would have to steal more tech (Either from Wayne Tech or LexCorp, which he has no problem with), or get help from the Justice League themselves. There's no doubt in his mind he would have to face them eventually. It was inevitable considering he has no plans on becoming a regular citizen during his stay. He would, however, prolong that meeting as long as he could. He could count the amount of times he's the League members on one hand and have fingers to spare.

So it's obvious that he holds a bit of a grudge against the Leaguers. They never took their partners as seriously as we would have liked, and thought us Titans as some ragtag group of angsty teens. They wanted to shape us in to sidekicks who would come when called, who would stay by their side rather then than help us create our own path.

Batman was the worse, as expected by most. He made sure to run his ideals and training into Robins bones, criticism becoming a common thing in the home life back then. But as soon as he was shot, he was nearly stripped of his role as Robin. Robin was the last essence he had of his mother, and he would be damned if he let someone like Bruce take it away from him. He left that night, and the rest became history.

During his stay in this universe, he managed to find one of Slades old hideouts. The place was abandoned, the gears rusted from time and the computers barely functional. The cobwebs and layers of dust that had covered the area were easy to clean, and eventually the lair resembled the way he remembered it to look. The lair became one of his bases of operation, with less then a handful more through the city and one within Bludhaven.

Once he was done with the spring-cleaning he got started with recreating the suit. The fabric and cape was the easy part, the tech and mask however… That would involve money. If he were to steal too much advanced tech, then that would cause some red flags to be raised in Jump. Which would end with the League to sending someone to investigate, something he would rather avoid.

So he became a broker for higher. He stole some small/essential tech needed for the larger computers to get them running and got to work. He started with small things, like selling documents from one company to another. He was paid generously and was eventually able to purchase the basic things needed for the suit. The lightweight but resilient cloth was bought from the latest line of tech by LexCorp while the mask and voice changer were made by an underhanded engineer for a hefty price. Once he had gotten the basics of his suit down he headed to Gotham, where an auction for a certain unstable core was being sold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all sooo much for the feedback/ Follows/ Favs! I'm really enthusiastic about this story, especially since the really amazing/ better stories aren't finished. I never really got any "Closure", so that's why I made this story. The Fanfic that drew me in more, however, was Hexalys's story, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with. I drew some inspiration from this author, though I want to keep it as original as possible. I want to make this as logical as I can, while also following the general idea of Robin/ Red X's character that I have in my head. Though, since this story is still fresh, I'm open to ideas! Especially on how Robin got teleported, I don't want it to sound to cliché, so a little help?**

 **Reviews**

 **TT4Ever: Congrats on being the first to review, and thanks for the feedback! I don't plan on making him a full on criminal, just someone in between. He won't get involved in anything that would permanently scar anyone (He would most likely try to stop the offender) But I don't plan on… how do I say this without spoiling anything… Making him involved with JL and YJ? They will interact a lot, but I think the real Robin wouldn't try to interact with them. I plan on drawing some elements from Hexalys and keeping with the idea that he doesn't have a good relationship with the league or Batman. I would take a shot with your idea and make him steal from criminals, but he's going to try to stay away from the Big Baddies. Also, I'm not sure how I'm gonna lay the plot on HOW he got teleported, so I would want to draw some ideas from some reviewer. Thanks again for the feedback, I would really like to hear more!**

 **Guestz: Thanks for the review. I don't have a regular schedule planned out (I'm in school currently, so that takes up a lot of my time that I would rather use for this story) But I don't plan on abandoning this story, I'm really enthusiastic about It. I would probably update this every week If not every week, then at least a week and a half. Again, thanks for the review!**

 **ZeAwsumOtaku: I really enjoy the idea of Robin taking up the mantle of Red X to. I was surprised when I saw that there wasn't a lot of stories with this theme, so I tried my hand at it. I'm really nervous on how this would turn out, especially since this is only the second story I've ever made. Even then my first fanfic sucked. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the chapters to come!**

 **On to the first Followers/ Favorites**

 **First follows**

 **Canary512**

 **Tilicia**

 **fropuff**

 **3PurpleRaven3**

 **Monkeygirlz3**

 **ZeAwsumOtaku**

 **Secrethistoriator**

 **DragonofRuin**

 **Now, on with the chapter!**

* * *

The auction was being held in a one of the many mansions owned by an aristocrat who he had worked for briefly. The man let Red in on the private auction and some of the items being sold. Some of them included at least a dozen or so tubes of Xenothium, which is obviously what he's aiming for. The man told him of some of the masterminds who would be attending, some of whom included Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Penguin. Red was only slightly hesitant to attend, but knew that the amount of what he needed was too good to pass up.

He pulled up to the spacious driveway before parking his bike with the other cars, making sure the tracker was on. Can't be too careless in Gotham.

As he made his way up the steps he was greeted by the nervous portly man who had invited him, Robert Lance. From what he remembered of this man in his universe, Lance was one of the only Gotham elites who genuinely cared for major crises' in Gotham and was an avid supporter of Batman.

This Lance, however, had no problems with using less then ethical ways to get his earnings. He was a short man sporting a beer-gut,dressed in a golden suit with large diamonds on each of his fingers and unnecessary watches on each of his wrists with a receding hairline being worn proudly. This Lance was like any other aristocratic Gothamite, you just have to stroke their egos the right way in order to get on their good side.

Lance let out a false smile; "Thank you for coming Fals, as well as for before."

Red sighed internally. He wished he didn't need to go through these useless pleasantries.

"Thank you for having me Mr. Lance. I would like to add that you have picked a very lavish place to hold this event."

He grinned, "Well of coarse! When one holds an event with people like these, you must go all out." His chest puffed out as Red let out an amused laugh then gestured towards the door.

"Shall we?"

* * *

Lance leads the way through the crowed as Reds eyes shifted underneath his mask. Surrounding him were obvious Gotham socialites, dressed in lavish attire with masks dazzled with jewels. He later noted the steps they were headed to, which were blocked out by hefty looking men wielding impressive weapons. They stepped aside when Lance waved his hand. They climbed the steps, which led them to where the villainous masterminds were, the balcony. Lance lead him to an empty table near the middle. Once they were seated the auction began.

It started off with generic Super-Villain-Wannabe starter pack weapons. As the auction dragged on, with the weapons being sold increasing in it's destructiveness, Red surveyed others on the balcony. Poison Ivy was easy to spot, her signature forest green taking the form of a form-fitting cocktail dress. Not to far from her was Two-face, who was seated at a table with Lex Luther. Red noted over a dozen other elite villains, though none spared him a glance. This didn't bother him, on the contrary, it eased his psyche slightly. This means he could save his debut for another day.

"And for our next item up for grabs, one of the most powerful cores on earth. So powerful and unstable, not even the likes of Bruce Wayne can get his hands on it without dipping into anything shady!" The crowed below filled with laughter, while the some of the villains leaned in anticipation. The auctioneer gestured to the man behind him. The man stepped forward and opened a briefcase. In the briefcase was a dozen tubes of Xenothium, each capable of powering his suit for a couple of months.

"We'll start the biding at the generous price of $7,000."

While the people below hesitated, villains above them didn't. First was the Brain, then Lex Luthur. As the bidding soared, Red tilted his mask to Lance, who gave him a wary nod. Red pressed the biding button on the table, indicating he threw in his bid. The auctioneer glanced at the screen in front of him, recognizing his cue.

"And we have a bid for a whopping $583,000! Going once-"

The Auctioneer ignored the other bidders.

"Twice-"

There was an outcry in the crowed of foul play.

"Sold to the pen-name, Fals Om!

"That's bullshit! I still want to throw in my bid!" The auctioneer fidgeted as the crowed of criminals became restless. Red leaned back and threw a glance at Lance, who had stood nervously.

"I-I believe it's time to collect your reward" Red straightened up and followed Lance, not taking note of the curious glances that held intrigue in their eyes.

* * *

Red found himself in a room with the portly host and a guard who had the briefcase. As he was handed the briefcase, Red passed Lance a flash drive. A flash drive that had Lances stolen documents, the content within the document containing the seedy future plans of his company. Lance took the flash drive with a grateful grin while Red carefully installed a tube of Xenothium into his belt, the X's of his suit lighting up from the core.

Lance marveled at the suit, "What do you plan to do with the rest of them?"

Red didn't hesitate with his response, "Make sure no one else steals what's mine"

Lance hummed in amusement, "I have a proposition. You work for me, and I'll pay you anyway you like. I get you enough Xenothium to create more advanced weapons, and you help my company grow. I have no doubt that my company will eventually take over Gotham, making names like Bruce Wayne a memory!"

Red allowed the aristocrat to continue with his proposition as he assured the stability of the core in his suit. Once he was sure the man was done he picked the suitcase from the ground before facing Lance.

"As promising as that sounds, I don't particularly enjoy being in-debt towards others."

Lance let out a grunt of agreement; "Well the proposition is open to you anytime."

Red X nodded before turning to the door. As he reached for the knob, the building rumbled. The occupants upstairs could be heard scrambling as more tremors were felt. Lance struggled to regain his balance.

"What the hell was that!" Red was silent before letting out a humorless chuckle, internally being filled with dread before saying bitterly,

"The Dynamic Duo strikes again"

* * *

Above them, said Dynamic Duo was hard at work, with Robin taking down the petty thieves who hadn't fled and Batman going up against some of the villainous elite. Robin had little trouble keeping up with the hoard of criminals that came at him like waves, easily taking them down. Red watched from his perch on the balcony, spectating the intense battle that waged in the once lavish ballroom. He was silently taken aback by the difference between him and the other Robin, feeling slightly disgruntled that he hadn't sported the green, underwear like bottoms Red had once worn.

The battle between Batman and the villains seemed one-sided, with Batman easily dodging their attempts at defeating him. Red kept his attention on Robin, who was slowly becoming overwhelmed by the hoard, if only slightly. Eventually, Red decided to help his younger counterpart, leaving the briefcase on the balcony before teleporting to the Bird and sending a kick to the thief behind him. Robin sent him a surprised look before getting back to work, realizing the skulled individual was helping.

Red decided to make this quick and sent out adhesive restraints, immobilizing them. In no time they were surrounded by fallen and restrained thieves. Robin turned to the masked man.

"Thanks! I totally had them, but I really appreciated the hand." Red felt his eye twitch slightly. Arrogant litt-

"You should give your mentor a hand kid, looks like he's having trouble with the baddies."

Robin scoffed, "No way, he's Batman!" He turned his head and gestured to said man, "He's the night, the worlds best detective, he's awesome!" Robin turned back only to find a blinking X in the place of the individual.

"Goddamit"

* * *

Red chuckled from his place on the balcony as a he heard a yelp, accompanied by a dense red fog. He spared a glance towards Batman, who had just started rounding up the fallen. Memories of the blood, sweat and tears he experienced while being Robin washed over him. He whipped his head away and reached for his briefcase before teleporting back to Jump.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm really sorry for not updating earlier! Anyway, thank you everyone for the support, critique, and advice. The positive responses to this story is just completely overwhelming, Thank You so much for all of the support!**

 **On with the chapter**

* * *

Red strolled the streets of Jump in his civvies, consisting of grey sweats, a red hoodie, and his signature sunglasses. He made his way into the familiar pizzeria and sat down at their trademark seat out on the baloney. As he placed his order, he debated his next course of action. He already had Xenothium so that's one problem solved. Next is finding a lead on traveling to parallel universes, whether by magic or scientific means. He couldn't exactly go to the JL's headquarters and just say he needed to find his way back, they would mostly label him insane and throw him into the slammer without question.

That's how they would react in his universe.

He hacked into the JL's database, which had the same mainframe as the one in the Batcave, and got info on one of the leaguers he was looking for. Or, in this case, the daughter of a leaguer. Zatanna, who wasn't even part of a team and had no training outside of magic. Not to mention she's younger then him. So that's one option ruled out.

Next he did some research on LexCorp, the more shady side of it actually. They were working on another weapon against Superman, one that required large amounts of Xenothium. The Xenothium that was supposed to come from the auction. Which he now has on his person.

Whoops.

While researching the shadiness that was LexCorp, he stumbled upon an interesting finding. It wasn't particularly related to finding his way back, but it's been the most advanced thing he's found so far.

Cadmus.

An organization founded by LexLuthor, it's known as a genetics research laboratory. They were known for their progress with prevention of deformities and their proposal for "Designer Babies". He wasn't interested in these details, however. What piqued his interest was the tidbit of information he received from a progress report email from a Dr. Desmond to Luthor. It gave updates on the progress of Project Kr, Dubbilex, and G-Gnomes. An interesting finding, but not particularly related to his cause. But he's a hero at heart, so why not cause some problems for the bald multi-billionaire?

Red tipped the waitress before leaving the pizzeria and heading back to his downgraded HQ. Time to be a tourist.

* * *

The tour group Red had joined was filled with selfie-obsessed assholes. Damn it, he should have just busted into the lab at night. That would have saved him the trouble of constantly being surrounded by flashes of phone cameras and the constant "Ooo-Ahhhh"'s of the group at every corner. Not only that, but he almost got vomited on. Three times. By the same brat.

Robin gritted his teeth as another onslaught of wails hit his ears, causing them to ring. All the mother did was continue to chatter with another tourist, showing no concern to the baby who's face started to turn red from it's constant screams. Red adored kids, when they weren't being heathens of course. Red edged towards the baby and glared at her. She paused for a moment before resuming her wails, this time increasing in volume.

Damn babies.

The group stopped as the guide turned to us, "And that raps up our tour! Any questions before we reach our next destination?"

Several people raised their hands.

"None? Okay! I hope you enjoyed the tour and see yourselves to the-"

"Wait!" The group turned to a woman who looked to be the definition of a tourist, floral shirt and camera in hand.

"What about that room," she motioned towards a closed off section of the building "we've been in every room except that one."

The guide instantly fidgeted with her hands, her eyes shifting left and right, "That section is where they do the experimentations. They are currently working on a new idea that was brought forth. Dr. Desmon-"

"Does not appreciate giving away surprises. Thank you Sarah, but the tour has ended. No further questions." The scientist sent a pointed look towards said guide, who looked away dejectedly.

"My name's Amy…"

 _"Sarah"_

"A-and that concludes the tour, now please leave!" The group was non-to-subtly kicked out. Red sighed as the disgruntled group headed to the next sight. That tour was obviously showing what Luthor wanted the public to see. What the hell did he expect to find on the tour?

Red walked a couple blocks away before ducking into an alley, expertly shedding his civvies and slipping on the mask, falling into his shady alter ego. He climbed to the rooftops and jumped back to Cadmus, deciding his next course of action. He obviously can't just waltz in in his civvies and question them about their darker intentions of cloning, Project Kr, and their need for mass amounts of Xenothium.

Had he chosen that route, not only would Batman wring his neck, but even the Joker would express his disappointment.

So that's one idiotic idea thrown out the window.

Red grimaced as he recalled a... technique that Batman had taught him. It was one of the most cliché, by the book method, one of the first infiltration methods. It was also his least favorite.

Air vents.

Cramped air vents covered in dust, either to small to turn or to hot to touch, and one of the reasons he no longer has fingerprints. Batman gave him an earful for accidentally burning them off. Red walked to one of the air vents on the roof and popped off the cover, reveling dust covered vents that he would barely fit into. The thick layers of dust already clinging to his grimaced before letting out a breath, crawling into the small opening.

Luthor better be worth it.

* * *

Batman was in his Batcave, as Dick had dubbed it, while said boy went off to hack into the Justice League computer in order to find out more on the newest person he had encountered, FalsOm. Once they had finished rounding the villains, Dick had gone on about the new face in Gotham, when they had gone over the camera feed of the auction they found out, to their dread, the skulled individual had been the one to purchase the mass amounts of Xenothium. With that much Xenothium, the individual could easily wipe out a city.

Batman had interviewed Lance, who was a stuttering mess in front of the Dark Knight. When questioned about the skulled villain, Lance blubbered on about hearing of the person from another aristocrat. Lance had never encountered him before the auction, only knowing that the man was a broker for hire and goes by the pen name, FalsOm. The information was only slightly useful, giving a very, very, very vague outline on the broker. Knowing that Fals Om is Romanian for "False Being", we knew that he spoke some Romanian. Or was at least familiar with the language. As Batman said, _very_ vague outline.

He relayed his findings on Fals Om to the other League members, ordering them to keep an eye out for any Xenothium being stolen/ shipped off or an individual clad in black with a red X and a skull mask. So far the feedback has been close to silent, no sightings being seen anywhere other then the auction. It seemed that Fals was good at covering his tracks both in the real world and in the deep web.

Bruce pulled off his cowl and rubbed the tiredness from his face, dragging his hand into his hair with a sigh. Dick has been restless since the encounter, keeping himself firmly on his corner of the cave hunched over and fingers moving rapidly across the keys. The obsessions gotten to the point of him losing two days of sleep and eating to a bare minimum; habits Alfred blamed Bruce for. Bruce was lenient for the first couple hours, but even Bruce knew when intense research has turned into an obsession. Bruce swiveled his chair and walked to Dicks own corner of the cave. Where his corner was usually impeccably neat and clean, it was littered with wrappers and bottles, Dicks form hunched over as the sounds of rapid typing was constant. Bruce placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You need to rest."

"Hmm."

"Dick, it's been two days."

"…"

Batman suppressed his sighs of exasperation. This is probably how Alfred feels when he does the same.

" _Richard._ "

Dicks fingers froze over the board. Bruce spun Dicks chair to face him, crouching in order to be eye-to-eye with his ward. Dick remained still under his gaze, twitches being the only indication of his nerves. Bruce bit back a fond smile, finding Dicks 'Hand-in-Jar' expression slightly adorable.

"You haven't eaten a proper meal since the incident."

"I'm not hungry."

"You haven't slept since."

"I'm not tired."

Bruce narrowed his eyes, Robin fidgeted, and Alfred smiled at the familiar scene. Dick stilled his fidgeting as his guardian leaned in slightly and sniffed him before pulling a face.

"You also smell like you haven't showered since the incident."

"…..I-I think I've been a little obsessed." Dick mumbled.

"I think so too."

"As do I, Master Richard." Dick winced at the Butlers agreement, knowing that was when he messed up.

"I can't help it, it's a new villain in Gotham! A really cool, awesome looking villain!"

Bruce raised a brow; "He gassed you while you were gloating about me."

Dick grinned wistfully, "And it was _glorious_."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as his ward continued to gush, feeling a slight wave of jealousy at the praises being dished out.

"He was so cool with how he utilized the Xenothium into the suit, I really hope we see him again. He didn't even look exhausted when he took down those thugs, that was so cool!"

Bruce's brow twitched, "Was it?"

Robin rapidly nodded "The coolest! He could be, like, my official arch-nemesis!"

"Go to bed."

Robin gawked. "W-wha-"

"Now."

"B-but I have to shower!"

"You should have done that _two days ago_ "

"Bruce!"

Said man gave a stern glare to the boy. Dicks shoulders slumped before lifting his arm, taking a quick sniff. He ripped his nose away with a grimace. He really did smell. He gave Bruce a sheepish look.

"S-sorry. I'll go to bed…" Dick yawned as his fatigue finally slammed into him full force. Bruce let a fond look slip while ruffling the slightly greasy hair of his ward. Dick slowly rose from his chair before sluggishly making his way out if the cave. He turned his head to look at Bruce.

"Night Bruce."

"Goodnight Dick"

"I really hope we run into that guy again, he was the coolest." He stretched again before leaving. Letting out a grunt, Bruce made his way back to his chair to, as the other heroes would put it, brood.

"Don't pout Master Bruce, I'm sure Master Richard believes you are 'Cool' as well"

"I am not _pouting_ , Alfred"

Alfred resisted a snort before giving a mock bow. "Of course, Master Bruce. Am I not to believe that you will be giving slight upgrades to the suit all night as well?"

"…"

"I shall prepare dinner and bring it down, Master Bruce."

* * *

 **Again, Thank you for the support!**


	4. Chapter 4

The security guard sat diligently in front of the screen, occasionally flicking from camera to camera. He let out another shaky breath as the screen changed to a cold cell, the body in it remaining unmoving since he had clocked that morning. Quickly changing the screen, it changed to a room filled with white coats leaning over scopes and comparing note, some of which were walking arrogantly from one colleague to the next. The guards shoulders sagged in relief as he was reminded that his guard duties were no longer occupied in the lower levels. The ambitious scientist constantly testing on new, usually unwilling or brain dead, "Participants" still caused shivers to run down his spine. He remembered distinctly when they were brought into the surgical rooms, the metal doors he guarded did nothing to lessen the whimpers that the experimented let out. There were never screams of pain or begging, they were usually to drugged up or broken down.

He leaned back and cracked the creaks from his neck as his back painfully relaxed against the cushioned chair. He had only been relieved from guard duty from the lower units for several months, his constant requesting (Pleading) finally paying off. Though he had been demoted down to camera duty, it's immensely better then having to constantly being forced to hear the whimpers of suffrage. He was forced out of his moment d recollection as his phone rang loudly from the table. He reached over and smiled as he saw the I.D.

"Hello?"

"Daddy!" He chuckled at the high-pitched squeal on the other side.

"How's my little princess?"

"D-daddy, when are ya comin' 'ome? I wan' t'go ta the spinny-thingy's an-and get ice-cream!"

He forced himself to keep calm as his daughter went on and on in her adorable voice, the familiar feeling of familial love and adoration lifting him from his low mood from before. A soft chuckle was heard in the background, his wife's soft voice was only a murmur, but it was enough to make his insides melt as if they were young again.

"What did your Mother say, sweetie?" His daughter stuttered out her words, still getting used to saying full sentences.

"She says ta let you work… can we still go play?"

"Anything you want."

"Yay! I wan' go to the swings, and get ice cream, and to-"

He tuned her out as he noticed a shadow behind him. It was to soon for another guard to take over his shift and anyone hardly comes in to the room while he's working.

"Sorry sweetie, I have to get back to work. We'll all go out once I get back."

She let out an excitable squeal, "Okay Daddy, Love you!"

"I love you too sweetie."

He set his phone down and sighed. He swiveled his chair around too see who had interrupted his father-daughter moment, only to nearly be met with a fist. He dove underneath the arm and rolled to the side, standing straight up to meet the attacker. Too his surprise, the perpetrator was clad in a black suit with red X's and a skull mask. He whipped out his two batons, his intense training kicking into action. They stared each other down in the small camera room, waiting for the other to pounce. He paused in surprise as Skully raised a hand and shot out an X at him. He grunted as the X collided with his chest with enough force to send him slamming roughly into the wall. He gasped as his breath was forced out of him and sent him into a fit of coughs and unappealing wheezing. His batons lay abandoned on the ground, having been forced from his hands during the attack. He struggled against the strong adhesive as Skully approached the desk and flickered from camera to camera.

So much for the training

"Y-y'know, this is about the moment where I yell and other guards come running in."

No response.

"Or would you rather tell me what you're doing with the cameras?"

Skully snorted, "Neither."

He felt a chill go through his spine at the dead, robotic voice. "Ah. You want me to shut my mouth?"

"That would be preferred."

He chuckled nervously, "I'd say sorry, but I'm not. I'm a nervous talker and I've never been this close too a costume… wearing… robber? Hacker?"

Skully sighed before tilting his head to the slighty tilting his head to the side. "It's not a costume. It's a suit, a uniform"

He raised his hands against the wall he was stuck too in defense, "I know what suits look like, but I'm not gonna judge… out loud."

"Hn" Skully hummed as he stuck a flash drive into a slot and typed rapidly at the computer. The guard kept his self occupied with the strong adhesive, wriggling his shoulders in order to loosen it. He let out a breath of exasperation; he'll most likely get fired for this. Or get sent out to a remote island since he was aware of Cadmus. He felt panic well up in his gut, the thought of leaving his family behind causing his thought to tighten up in anguish. He snapped his head up as Skully backed away from the screens and turned to him. They held each others gaze.

"I heard you speaking to your daughter, you have a family." Skully's voice gave off no emotion. The guard was hesitant to answer.

"I do."

"You are aware of what Cadmus really does."

"I am."

"If you have a family, why involve yourself with Cadmus?"

The guard looked to the side in self-loathing, having asked himself that same questions every time he donned his uniform for work. Every time he kissed his wife and daughter good bye. Every time he saw, through the lenses of the cameras, another dead-eyed human being carted away into the rooms he once guarded. He hated his job, wished he can leave, but there wasn't a chance he would ever be able to make it out alive without dragging his family into it. If he ever tried to escape, his family would pay the price. He was stuck.

"I was involved long before I had a family of my own. I won't ever be able to leave… they are both my strength and weakness."

"I am going to assume that I am correct when I say that you're not fond of Luthor"

The guard chuckled hollowly, feeling the years of stress crashing down on him once more, nodding his head was still, his mask giving no emotion and his stance relaxed.

"What's your name?"

The guards head jerked in surprise. He contemplated the question, "Why?"

"We both have something against Cadmus and I need someone inconspicuous to give me more intel. Documents and file reports can only reveal so much. You give me information on Cadmus and I help you dig yourself out of the mess you were dragged into."

The guard, stunned, stared wide-eyed in surprise at the proposal. His mouth was set in a firm line, eyes drifting in contemplation.

"You're just gonna ask a random guard to be so-some sort of spy for you? Just like that?"

Skully shrugged, "Is that a yes?"

He snorted at the half-assed response, "Yea… so long as I get my end of the deal. I can't get them involved."

"They became involved as soon as your wife married you."

He winced at the harsh fact, nearly choking at the guilt that stabbed his throat.

"Which is why I will help you."

The guard said, with hesitance, "My name's James Rahway."

Skully nodded before reaching for the corner of the adhesive. James flinched as he felt it pull roughly at his uniform before it was fully removed. He sighed in relief while Skully backed away.

"I'll be in touch, James."

"When ever you're free, Skully."

Skully's form froze, his exasperated sigh sounding odd with the voice changer. "My name is Red X."

James snorted, "Red X? How creative."

"Skully?"

"Eh, note taken. I'm not the best at names either." He shrugged. Red let out a robotic chuckle before reaching beside him, pulling the drive out. He backed towards the opened vent in the ceiling before facing James once more.

"The cameras have been put on a loop. Not a word to anyone." Red's voice ended on a low note, giving off a warning. James nodded in understanding. "Wouldn't risk it. When will you need me?"

"You'll know."

Red then leaped up into the vent, closing it behind him. James breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the adhesive dissolve slowly. The proposition was too good too be true, but it seemed like the only escape. Now he just had too act natural.


	5. Chapter 5

Blüdhaven was a corrupted city with the majority of its police force consisting of bad cops. The city was involved in constant gang wars and drug deals, the complete opposite of Jump. If it were to be compared, Red would put it along the same level as Gotham. It was also uncomfortably close to the Gothic city as well, just thirty minutes away if one were insane enough to willingly make the drive. At the current moment, Blockbuster was well on his way to controlling Blüdhaven. He's already taken over two of the five major gangs within the city. The gangs under his control have been gaining confidence because of their leadership, provoking and killing men and women who had the slightest sign of being on the opposing side. however, even with the crime becoming out of control, the League hasn't sent a single person to swiftly take care of Blockbuster. Those within the city who remained innocent remained exposed to the gang activities and risks of death.

At the moment, Red was perched above a building as he observed the alley fight below. The members of the Cobras surrounded the lone hero who was easily overpowering them. The hero's red hair and bow and arrow was the only indication of him being the parallel Speedy. Unlike the Titan, this Speedy was bulkier, face hardened, and fighting style less of a show.

The last member, a scrawny man with an outdated mullet, charged at Speedy with a pocket knife, an attack that Speedy was more then prepared for. Speedy dove under the man's swinging arm before delivering a blow to the gut, straightening afterwards and taking a look around at the unconscious and groaning men around him.

Speedy drew in a deep breath before releasing a growl, "I didn't need the damn babysitting, I'm fighting completely fine on my own."

Red quietly crept down the stairs on the side of the building Speedy's communicator rang sharply. Speedy cursed while reluctantly answering.

"He-… Why?... I'm fine, thanks for asking… You don't need to be worried, I can take care of myself… Blüdhaven… I heard about Blockbuster, the activity here is getting worse…"

What ever the person was saying made Speedy scoff, "We both know about the amazingly swell job the police is doing… Blockbuster isn't out of my league, I can take him… Whatever, by the time you get here, I'll be finished with him… Skull guy? Real nice name but no, haven't seen him but I'll keep an eye out. Batman ever find out what he was using the Xenothium for?... So the guy's able to dodge Bats for this long? Impressive, but won't last for much longer"

Red smirked. Challenge accepted.

Speedy put his communicator away as he slammed a semi conscious thug into a wall, "Where's Blockbuster?"

"I-In Yellow band territory, the a-abandoned fiberglass factory" He groaned out. He yelped as Speedy tossed him to the side.

"Thanks."

Red made his way down the walls of the alley as Speedy left. He could leave it to Speedy… but he could also tag along. Blockbuster and his goons of followers have been getting out of hand. That could also risk capture. Not really worth it. Speedy can take care of Blockbuster by his self until Green Arrow shows up...

… he should tell Speedy it's not a good idea to walk into an old abandoned and dusty fiberglass factory with open skin. He could get some really bad rashes and eye irritation.

Yeah. Let's go with that.

* * *

Red X watched as Speedy squeezed through the open window as he pulled his skulled mask off, revealing his trademark domino mask and spiked hair. He clipped the mask to the back of his belt before drawing out and extending his bo staff.

Skull guy won't be making much of a appearance to night.

Red snuck from the same window to a catwalk, the ground level being littered with crates and members of Blockbusters support group. He spotted Speedy crouching on the catwalk ahead of him, contemplating his next course of action. Red tapped the catwalk gently, enough to gain Speedys attention without those below noticing. The red head snapped his head up and tensed, ready for a fight as Red quickly raised his hands up as a sign of peace. Speedy eyed the bo staff in his hand, to which Red shrugged playfully.

Red slowly made his way to Speedy while keeping an eye on the twitching fingers on the bow. Red crouched next to him at an arms distance.

"Who are you?"

Red tapped the X on his chest, to which Speedy scoffed at, "Red X, why am I not surprised."

Red frowned, "Why is that always the response, the name isn't that bad." He raised a brow at Speedy, "Is it?"

"Little bit." Speedy smirked before putting on a serious face. "Why are you here?"

"You and I have the came to the same conclusion. Blockbusters gang of lackeys have taken over the city and law enforcers aren't exactly doing a much about it." Speedy leaned closer in interest.

"Am I sensing a team up?"

"You sense correctly."

Speedy quirked a smirk and turned to the men below. "So how would you do this? Guns blazing or keeping it discreet?"

"Well neither of us have guns, as far as I know."

"So discreet then."

"Not quite…" He glanced at Speedys arrows, "… got any knock-out gas in that quiver of yours?"

"Nah, got that confiscated a while back. There's some ice in there though."

"Alright, I'll knock out as many as I can while you wait up here. We'll save the ice for Blockbuster once he makes his entrance. Anything you want to add?" Speedy shook his head as he readied his arrows. Red unclipped his cape and draped it over the archers shoulders, covering his exposed arms. Speedy tensed and raised a brow while Red ran his fingers along the railing, showing him his dusted and shimmering finger.

"This place used to be a fiberglass factory, you'll get rashes if you don't cover up."

"I can take care of myself" Speedy said through clenched teeth.

"I'm not doubting that but as of this moment we are a team. As teammates, we look out for each other. Can I trust you to do the same for me?"

Speedy pressed his lips, "For now."

"That's all I need to know."

Red jumped over the railing and jammed his staff into the ground, kicking his leg against the nearest lackey. He twisted his body as the gun fire started on queue, spinning his staff in order to deflect the barrage of bullets. He threw an explosive X into a group while throwing ones to the larger thugs. The explosives shook the building, dust and fiber glass fell from the ceiling as they tried surrounded him. Red dived down, putting his hands to the ground and kicking up into someones jaw. He swung his legs around before swinging to his feet, thrusting his staff into someones stomach and throwing them into a group near by.

He cast a quick glance at Speedy when an arrow sped past his peripheral vision, the boxer glove attached to it knocking a man out. Speedy readied three more arrows, Speeding up the process. In no time the several dozen were no more, all of them being taken care of within minutes. Red checked the watch on his suit while Speedy made his way down the catwalk.

93%

He hasn't used the suit much. If he keeps at the pace he's been going, the xenothium he has at the moment should last for a year.

"Goons are here. Question is, where's Blockbuster?" Speedy said while standing at a distance. He spared a glance at the crates around the factory. Red reached to the one beside him and cracked it open, peeking at the contents.

"Guns in this one."

"Angel dust in here."

"Don't get curious." Red snorted. Speedys face twisted in annoyance.

"I'll never get fixed on drugs."

Red chuckled, "Looks like your source was a dead end. Any other ideas on his whereabouts'?"

Speedy shook his head, "No, just know he operates in Blüdhaven."

"Speedy!"

The they turned to the entrance as Speedy groaned, irritation evident in his tone. Green Arrow stood in full view, arrow drawn and face hostile. Speedy spent no time in aiming at Red, whose grip tightened around his staff.

"And I thought we were getting along so well."

Green Arrow crept closer, "Nice mask, Fals. Mind telling us where the xenothium is?"

"Is this the classic 'Tell me where it is or else' situation?"

"Yep. This is where you give us answers."

"As much as I like having things going as planned, I'll make an exception."

Red ducked down and as Speedy fired at him and grabbed the arrow in midair, using the momentum too swing it around back to the archer. He cartwheeled to the side while Green Arrow released his arrows, one of which exploding nearby. He quickly slipped his mask back on as bits of rusted metal and fiber glass fell from the ceiling.

Seeing both archers speeding towards him, he vaulted onto a stack of crates. Green Arroe and Speedy readied their arrows as red raised his hands in the air.

"Okay, I know I'm not the best with first impressions-"

"Where's the xenothium!"

"-but I thought we really had something, Speedy." The red archer gritted his teeth, "You're even wearing my cape!"

"Shut up!"

"Fine. I can't stick around for long, but you two can." Red fired goo from his gloves, the gunk slamming into them and gluing them to the ground.

"What the- what is this?!" Speedy struggled. Green Arrow grunted while he attempted to rip his arm from the ground, huffing when it slammed back into the sticky pink mass.

"Take a guess. It'll dissolve long after I'm gone."

"Who are you?!"

Red snorted at the hero, "Don't you think your partner is capable of answering that for you?"

Green Arrow growled in annoyance, "Canary!"

Red turned and quickly blocked the kick, a women with long blond hair frowning down at him.

Okay… now is a serious time to find an escape before anyone else pops up unexpectedly.

* * *

Sorry for the wait and thanks for all the support!


	6. Chapter 6

_**So I just graduated High School the other week... Yay... But now I gotta adult... woo...**_

* * *

 _Robins smirk fell for a second as he was faced with the apprehensive faces of Batman's… colleague? Teammates?_

 _Of course, he already knew them before they knew of him._

 _"This can't be right. There's no way Bats took in a sidekick, especially someone so young and inexperienced." Green Arrow muttered skeptically to Black Canary. Her nod in agreement agitated him, as if they could judge his performance off of a single glance of his small frame._

 _"I'm Batman's partner, not his sidekick. If you want to speak with him about me fighting with him side by side then you can ask him. He wouldn't have allowed me to join him if he thought of me as incapable."_

 _Canary's lips twisted down, crossing her arms. "Kids have no place in fighting crime, it's dangerous."_

 _Robin clenched his staff tighter._

 _"Those things in your belt aren't toys."_

 _He gritted his teeth._

 _"There is no reason for a kid to fight along side us."_

 _"You don't know what the hell I fight for."_

 _How dare she talk as if he didn't have a purpose when he fights? As if he were some normal kid who was running around the streets picking fights with dealers, some kid who tags along Batman like a leech?_

 _Green Arrow blinked as Robin trembled in rage._

 _"What she means is, it's not right for a kid to be getting involved in what we do."_

 _"Keep it to yourselves then." Batman's graveling voice rang in the cave. Robin relaxed slightly, his vice grip on his staff loosening up just a tiny bit._

 _"What I do in this city has nothing to do with you unless I say otherwise."_

 _Robin felt a grin spread across his face, "See? A team."_

 _"Robin, leave the cave. You're done for the night."_

 _Robins jaw dropped before frowning. "Yes Batman."_

* * *

He grunted as he dodged another blow. Now wasn't the time to dwell on first meetings. This Canary was could be different, just like the others he's met so far.

"You aren't bad, especially for someone so young." She commented. He raised a brow, not that she could have seen. It didn't sound mocking in the least. That threw him in a loop for a bit, just long enough for her to charge at him, aiming for his ribs. He grabbed her wrists, twisting it behind her before planting his foot on her back and sprang off. She rolled forward and turned around into a defensive stance.

"Tell me, why does someone so young need enough Xenothium to level a small city?"

He reached for his belt, subtly feeling the spare vial of the glowing red chemical underneath it.

"I can assure you that leveling a city is not what I would want to do. Who blows up a city?"

She raised a brow. He paused for a moment.

"Don't answer that."

She lunged again, spinning around into a round house kick. He flipped back only to block another kick. They jumped apart once more. She glared as Green Arrow and Speedy's grunts of struggle rang out in the warehouse.

"Then why do you need it? Do you work for someone?"

He clenched his fists, "I work for no one."

"Then do you work with someone?"

He flinched in surprise, his intake of breath sounding sharp and dead through the mask. He's worked with to many people. To many he's trying to get back to.

Except one.

She pretended not to notice his small moment of thought.

"I don't work with anyone now, I'm only working towards a goal."

"And just what is this goal? What goal needs this much Xenothium?"

He wanted to wipe the spec of concern he saw flickering in her eyes. Black Canary wouldn't care about what the goal of a thief is, what their purpose was.

She wouldn't care.

"That concerns no one except myself."

She pursed her lips, "I guess we will just have to involve ourselves anyway."

He jumped to the side as she aimed another powerful punch at him, using his staff to propel himself closer to the entrance. Canary, seeing through his plan, belted out her sonic scream. He threw himself to the side but didn't escape without any damage. He grunted as his mask let out static, shocking him. His head and ears rang as he felt blood dripping out. His grunts of struggle were heard clearly, sounding young and pained without the mask functioning. Canary frown softened for a second.

"What is it you are trying to achieve? Fighting this hard for the Xenothium... you must have a bigger plan for it. We can help you get what you need in a safer manner. Just let us help you..."

"Red X... And no thanks... this is something I need to do on my own.. For now, at least."

Canary was taken aback by the youthfulness of his voice. He couldn't be any older than Speedy or Aqualad, maybe even Kid Flash. What could someone so young possibly be so desperate for?

Green Arrow and Speedy have nearly freed themselves by now. His head hurt and the ringing of his ears weren't any better. The situation wasn't looking any better.

He was going to get caught.

He was worlds away from his friends.

He was going to get caught by the League.

He'll never make it home.

He'll never make it home.

He was freezing up, he's making a rookie mistake. He had to breath.

In and out

In and out

Canary hesitated as his breathing became clearer, slowly creeping towards him.

"Hey..."

In and out

"You need to slow down Re-"

InandoutInandout

She was talking, what was she saying? His head's getting lighter, he needs to slow down. She's just a couple steps away now.

"Canary don't get any closer."

"He's hyperventilating, Speedy."

Just listen to him, don't get any closer.

InandoutinandoUT

He jerked back as he felt her hand lightly touch his. Looking up, he saw her uncomfortably close to him, Green Arrow and Speedy covered in gunk but freed with arrows notched and aimed at him.

This was bad.

"You're hurt. Let us help you." He wanted to trust her. He wanted to confess to Dinah She wasn't her Dinah, though. He would never have wanted to confess to her Dinah. They just weren't close like that.

"Just tell us what you needed." He felt like a child again, desperately waiting for someone to take him back to the circus.

"What are you doing this for?"

"Home."

He needed to leave.

She jumped back as he swung his staff at her. He stood on his feet, feeling his headache and the ringing subside for a moment. He raised his hand to his belt. Canary ran to him as Green Arrow and Speedy fired at him, both arrows releasing nets intended to capture and stun him with electricity.

"Red, wait...!"

She stopped short as he vanished, having teleported out of sight. Green Arrow sighed as Speedy released a frustrated growl.

"Bats isn't going to be happy when he hears about this." Green Arrow remarked as he attempted to get the rest of the reddish gunk off of him. Speedy proceeded to do the same but not without taking out a vial and putting some in it, throwing it to Canary. She caught it while thinking over what had happened.

"Why did no one mention that he could teleport?" Speedy said in annoyance. Green Arrow chuckled in amusement.

"It was never mentioned in the briefings."

"It wasn't. Which means he has more things up his sleeves." Canary said as she looked closer at the red substance. She turned towards her comrades and laughed at the sight of them. Green Arrow sighed.

"What a pain."

"Well he couldn't have gotten. His suit is messed up and he's hurt, we can still catch him!"

Green Arrow and Canary shared a look before Green Arrow shook his head.

"Sorry Speedy, but we have no way of knowing where he can be. Weather he's close by or a state away. We can scout out the streets but we'll spend more time fighting thieves and would-be robbers than we would in finding him."

"And what's so bad about that?"

"Well, it isn't our city. We have other priorities."

"Oh, like what?"

"Giving this vial to Batman so he can examine exactly what it is." Canary said while handing it to Green Arrow.

"Fine. Whatever."

"Not you, Speedy."

The red archer froze. "What the hell do you mean?"

"What we mean is that you aren't coming."

"What the hell! I helped lure him here, I helped fight him!"

"You helped but from this point on the league will investigate him. If the league approves then you will join in." Green Arrow said in a stern tone. Speedy growled before marching out of the warehouse.

"Speedy!"

"Go to hell!"

"Green Arrow. Let him cool off, we need to report."

Green Arrow grunted before taking out his communicator, "Green Arrow to Watch Tower, me and Black Canary are ready to be beamed up."


End file.
